FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida man accused of taking nearly $300,000 from a Hawaii car buyer and never delivering the luxury vehicle was arrested by federal agents just before boarding a flight from Miami to Cuba — with Russia as his final destination.
Vitalii Stefurac, 48, of Hallandale Beach, who also goes by “Viktor,” is now facing a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was taken into custody following a months-long investigation that stemmed from a Local 10 News report first aired in July 2024.
He appeared in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Friday morning.
According to federal authorities, Stefurac operated Dream Auto Collection, a now-shuttered luxury car dealership at 3837 Pembroke Road in Hollywood.
The dealership came under scrutiny after 78-year-old Alan Sue wired $275,000 for a 2023 Mercedes-Benz G63 with a rare BRABUS package — a vehicle Sue, of Makawao, Hawaii, never received. Records show the car was sold to someone else.
In an interview last year, Sue said the experience nearly broke him emotionally and financially.
“Seriously, I thought about killing myself,” he told Local 10. “I’ll say it right out — I was stupid and foolish.”
Sue said he saw the vehicle listed online and communicated with Stefurac, who identified himself as the owner of the dealership. The money was wired in two separate transactions in April 2024. Stefurac acknowledged receipt of the funds but failed to deliver the vehicle, then became unresponsive, according to Sue.
“I think Viktor took my money and went on expensive vacations,” Sue said. “He went to Nepal and climbed some mountain — sent me a picture. I think he went to Europe too. I think it was all on my money.”
In court Friday, federal prosecutors argued Stefurac is a flight risk with dual citizenship and a history of frequent international travel, particularly to Russia. They requested he be held without bond pending trial.
However, a federal judge disagreed and granted Stefurac bond, setting it at $100,000.
Read the criminal complaint:
His longtime girlfriend, Galina Kerer, put up her Hallandale Beach apartment as collateral to secure his release. Stefurac has surrendered his passport and can only travel within South Florida.
After bonding out, Stefurac was confronted by Local 10 News reporter Jeff Weinsier.
“Talk to us. Nice expensive car,” Weinsier asked as Stefurac left federal court Friday in his girlfriend’s Range Rover. “Where is Alan Sue’s money?”
Kerer’s Range Rover is valued at more than $100,000 and bears a Police Benevolent Association license plate.
Meanwhile, Sue says he’s still waiting for the refund Stefurac has been promising him for over a year.
“No, Jeff, I haven’t seen one red cent,” Sue said.
If convicted, Stefurac faces three to four years in federal prison.
Under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, he would also be legally required to repay the full amount lost by the victim. The law ensures that victims of certain federal crimes — including fraud — receive financial restitution from the offender as part of their sentence.